Darkest Before the Dawn
by EvelynHamilton
Summary: AU. No one ever seemed to question just why Bella's mind couldn't be read by Edward. Perhaps she did belong in the supernatural world, after all. (Edit: Chapters 1 and 2 deleted and timeline to start in Twilight instead of New Moon.)
1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:** I apologize for pulling the rug out from under so many people! Those of you who have read chapters one and two, I decided to flop it a bit, starting with _Twilight_ instead of _New Moon._ It made more sense since witch-Bella is a bit more.. just more than regular Bella and her interactions would be different. Hope you don't mind!

If you didn't reach this before now.. No worries, just enjoy!

* * *

Parents are supposed to support their children. They encourage them to be the best they can be, to be themselves. Renee had never been that way.

Renee was the kind of parent that wanted me to be who she thought I was, grounding me when I proved her wrong. I could at least always count on her relenting when she felt guilty.

This was not one of those times.

I was bent on being upset as she drove me to the airport, trying to tell me how good this experience would be for me. They were empty words; we both knew this was good for _her_. She was sending me to Washington, hoping it would 'fix' me. I had a condition she liked to call a disease, one I received from my father. This illness had never caused us such contention in the past—that was before I had changed my mind about it. It wasn't a curse. It was a _blessing_. An idea Renee could not stomach and I could not deny.

I pointedly ignored her as we walked into the airport, my entire life reduced to a duffle bag slung over my shoulder and a suitcase in tow. She never offered to help and I didn't expect her to. It wouldn't be the first time in my life that she refused to be a mother.

She pulled me to a stop, looking glassy eyed as she looked me over, memorizing my face. "Oh, I'm going to miss you so much!"

She wouldn't.

"I promise to call you every week."

Another promise to break.

"Let me know when you land, alright?"

I wouldn't.

She caught on to my attitude, her hands moving faster than they should have to her hips. "Isabella, don't make this any more difficult than it already is."

My mother was three inches shorter, allowing me to look down my nose at her. "Why, are you feeling guilty?"

She sputtered, getting red in the face. "I'm only doing what's best for you!"

"No, you're doing what's best for your future."

She glowered before pulling off a necklace I had never seen her remove—it was an orange stone, sunstone if I remembered correctly, wrapped in wire and held on a bronze chain—and shoving it into my hand.

That's all it took for me to feel as if she'd severed the last bond between us.

I stared down at the necklace, shocked and bewildered. I could remember when it was given to her, a sad and rainy day as I was being pulled away from my father some fifth teen years ago. My father had given it to her for protection, the last token of his affection that she had kept all these years.

Renee was dramatic—this would be how she showed she wanted nothing to do with the 'disease' we carry.

"You can keep it or give it to your father. Tell Charlie I said hello."

My fingers wrapped around the delicate chain as my jaw clenched. "Goodbye, Renee," I hissed through my teeth, doing everything I can to keep my energy contained. Who knew what I could do in such a crowded area.

It was easier than it should have been, walking away from her. I had no idea when I would see her again.. And frankly, I didn't care.

.

The feeling of coming home after years of wandering was how I felt when I stepped off that tiny plane that made me feel queasy and saw my father waiting for me with a hopeful look on his face.

He was just as I remembered, leather jacket, mustache, and large stature. His face broke out into a bright smile as I steadily made my way to him, right into his open arms that welcomed me home. The hug was awkward, overdue, and full of so much understanding that I could have cried right there if we weren't in the middle of nowhere and surrounded by a handful of people that neither of us knew.

Once he let me go, he quickly gathered up my bag and suitcase and dumped them into the back of his police cruiser before holding my door open for me.

I had forgotten this extreme difference between my mother and father—one standoffish and childish, the other a gentleman and caretaker. It made me wonder what kind of person I would've ended up being had he taken custody instead of my mother.

We were in the car and headed for his home—my new home—within minutes, the awkward silence stifling.

"..The necklace."

My head turned downwards, momentarily forgetting what necklace I was wearing, before my head snapped to him, hoping he wasn't too hurt by seeing it.

"I'm glad you have it."

His voice was gruff and full of emotion but I knew he meant it. There was no hidden mirrors with him, no reason to question his motives. Charlie just _was_. It was who I wanted to be like.

"Me too," I nodded.

"Your mom said some things.. Do you want to talk about it now or when we get home?"

He was giving me the option to prepare myself or sleep if I wanted, thinking about my well being.

I didn't.

"She doesn't want me to be.. me."

Charlie glanced from the road to me before looking back. "No, I didn't think she ever would. And making you deny who you are can be.. detrimental."

"Can you train me?"

His lips twisted as he thought of that. "I would be a hypocrite to say no, sweetheart."

I smiled up at him, leaning over the console to hug his arm. "Thank you, Dad."

I could feel his discomfort in the contact as he tightened up, but he also craved the show of affection with how his energy reached out to wrap around my shoulders tentatively. It had been so long since anyone had offered him a simple act of kindness and it showed.

I stayed like that for awhile, leaning against him as he drove in silence, my energy settling comfortably against his. This was what I had been missing—the undeniable feeling of belonging, of being with someone like me.

"You have poor control," Charlie rumbled quietly after a time, startling me. "Your energy keeps jabbing me in the side." He glances at me from the corner of his eye, lip quirked upwards in a smirk.

I instantly went red, pulling myself upright immediately. "I—Sorry! It's got a mind of it's own!"

He lets out a soft laugh and I could feel his energy smoothing my frayed edges. "It comes with time. Don't worry so much, Bells."

I sat on my hands as if it would stop the energy from moving around, eyes pointed downwards as my hair falls around me. "Sorry," I muttered again before squeezing my eyes shut. I was used to Renee blowing up about it—every time I touched her, my energy would reach out for reassurance. It was a reassurance that was always denied, something that would make her shove me away in an effort to get away. I had forgotten that it can start to poke and prod when it wanted more.

Charlie's arm settled around my shoulders, pulling me in and shutting me down before I could even put the decorations up for my pity party. "Kiddo, don't be so hard on yourself. It'll pass."

I wanted to believe him—desperately.

* * *

I didn't want to deal with making new friends. Not that I really ever _had_ friends, but I didn't want to put up the effort to _pretend_ to make friends. Even if my dad was the chief of police, I didn't care to attempt. I had hoped that it wouldn't give me any special status or anything, but I was wrong.

The curiosity of a human can be a fickle thing. When you are intimately aware of the energy surrounding you and the energy of others—no matter how weak—and you're encased in a crowd of curious humans shoving their attention at you, you _know._ You know like you're a kid again and you peeked into all the Christmas presents, but you didn't get anything you wanted. That feeling _sucks._ It was a feeling it would take some time to get used to—Charlie had kept me at home for a few weeks before registering me for classes, going over the basics, teaching me about our heritage, and making sure I knew how to _not_ crash my truck. Luckily, I could do that much.

Those two weeks had been a much needed vacation—no displeased looks, no words being muttered under their breath, no negative energy being lobbed my way. I was happy.

And then I stepped foot into Forks High School and felt something distinctly _wrong._ Wrong, as in someone was in your living room, smoking pot and watching porn while you were trying to sleep. The feeling struck me, making it impossible for me to even take a step forward and becoming the entire school's roadblock in the courtyard as the bell tolled to announce an end of first period.

Eyes were stuck on me, but I wasn't moving because the source of the wrong feeling was moving closer and then came into view.

There was a movie aspect to it—like any scene where the main character was introduced with a Hollywood ranked actor among regular kids. And there were _two_ of them, making it even more unrealistic. The two of them were both blond, tall, and _very_ pale.

It literally took me two seconds to profile them, my particular brand of magic propelling me forward and shoving my head towards the ground so I wouldn't make eye contact.

I would have been fine.. had one of them not reached out to me with their own energy and tried to soothe my emotions.

There was an audible slap as my magic rejected the contact—loud enough for everyone around us to pause and turn to stare because to them.. it sounded like I just slapped the blond god.

Aw, _shit._

The two of them were staring at me in a way that I knew meant their super-fast brains were trying to decide what to do to cover up everything—ignore and walk away? I knew they were—because so was I.

The female blond goddess decided on another option, letting out a Hollywood-worthy gasp. (Really, what were these people doing here?) "Jasper, are you okay?"

The way she looked at me made me wonder if she was secretly proud of my rejection or if she wanted to murder me. I really hoped for the former.

"How dare you!" I hissed, hoping to cover up my blunder as I finally looked up at the taller male, his golden hair falling into his eyes as he looked down at me in shock. His eyes, gray and blue, seemed to swirl for a moment as his mouth slowly closed and he swallowed loudly.

"I am sorry, ma'am," he rumbled quietly, his brows furrowing just a bit. He looked genuinely remorse, though, and it made something in my chest tighten. "It was an accident."

The girl looked between the two of us, her eyes quickly glancing around the milling students that wanted the gossip from this encounter. They returned quickly to Jasper's face, as if checking him over.

"..It's okay," I muttered quietly, forcing myself to look away from his eyes when they stirred more emotion. "I probably ended up swerving just a little when I walked. I'm clumsy."

There was a slight pause as I felt him look me over, his head shaking. "..Not clumsy. Just something else."

I took a breath, jaw clenching before backing away—once more propelled by my magic. "Well, no harm done. I need to head to class."

I sped walked out of there faster than a sinner running from a clergyman.

I did not go to class. Instead, I ran all the way to my truck, which I had dubbed 'Beast', and got the hell out of dodge. I didn't stop until I crossed town, reached the police station, and had cornered my father in his office, slamming the door shut.

"Bells, what are you—"

"Did you know?" I questioned, cutting him off.

His brows rose as his lips turned downwards. "Young lady, you have three seconds to tell me why you are not at school."

" _Charlie._ " He blinked up at me, seeing me for the first time.

"Bella, what happened?"

" _Did you know?"_

He let out a huff, shaking his head. "Did I know what?"

"That there are—!" I cut myself off, looking around the room. Would anyone hear? Just to be safe, I lowered the blinds the lined the windows of his office. "Vampires," I whispered. "Did you know they were here?"

Charlie let out a large sigh in response, hand raising to rub his face. "I should have known you'd figure it out on your first day. I had never thought you'd even seen one."

I could feel a glare pulling at my features, making them sharper. If I wasn't so upset, I might have softened my expression. "You _knew_ and didn't tell me?!"

"They aren't the kind you think they are."

"Oh, what, they sparkle in the sun?"

"You and I both know those are faeries, Bella."

"Then what do you mean?!" I could feel myself becoming shriller and I made an effort to calm myself a bit.

"They are... vegan."

The anger I had worn like a fur coat hit the ground. "..What?" I couldn't even think about how that was possible.

"They eat animals, Bells," he sighed. "They go hunting a few times a month or so. They keep to their own and haven't harmed any humans. Trust me, I've been watching."

I looked down at the fake tiled floor, toe scuffing against the corner of one. "..You still sent me to school with dangerous creatures," I grumbled, ever the errant child.

"Bells, pat your clothing down."

I looked up at him, frowning. "What?"

"Just do it."

I did so, dust falling from the fabric and coating my hands. I looked up from it at him, questioning.

"Ashes. It covers your scent. It's a safety precaution, just like that amulet. I sent you to school with vampires, yes, but not without the necessary measures, sweetheart. Little trust, please?"

I let out a gush of air, letting myself drop into a chair at his desk. I felt entirely exhausted just by that little interaction.

"How many were there?" Charlie asked quietly as he went about doing the paperwork I barged in during.

"Two."

He clicked his tongue. "You're gonna have to toughen up, Bells. There's five Cullen kids there."

" _What?_ " I hissed. "How do they think they can blend in?"

"Dunno, why don't you ask them? You're not very deceptive. They probably know you know." He let out another sign before pulling open a drawer and pulling something out. He quickly reached over and placed it in my hands. "This is to be used as a last resort, Isabella. Don't let me find out you did something stupid, got it?"

In my hands was a little vial. I recognized the liquid immediately. It was the same thing he drank just before my mother walked out on him.

My fingers wrapped around it and I quietly thanked him for the gift. He wouldn't let me take off the rest of the day—if the vampires knew I'd come here to the police station, they might be worried unless they could put two and two together.

"Vampires are an emotional species," he reminded me as he signed his name disinterestedly on a report. "They think they are extremely intelligent, but most times they're simply extremely childish. Don't let their age fool you—they're just whatever age they died at forever."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Tell me what you thought-reviews invigorate me to post more! I'll try to post on a weekly schedule. I'll decide on a day soon.

Evelyn


	2. chapter two

chapter two

No one was waiting for me in the parking lot.

That was reassuring at least—for the moment they would at least show me the common courtesy of thinking I might be a human. It probably wouldn't last very long, sadly.

I had the unfortunate luck of getting back to school right at lunch, meaning the entire school would know that the new student had ditched the first few periods of class on her first day. I would have a reputation, I supposed.

It also meant that when I walked into the cafeteria, everyone and their dog was staring at me, whispering, giggling, and shoving their energy into my face.

It instantly pissed me off.

I was nearly finished gathering my lunch—a sprite and a small sandwich guaranteed to taste bland—when an apple appeared in the corner. I made the mistake of looking up at my offender, giving them the perfect opening to snatch my tray from my hands.

The blond vampire, Jasper, from this morning was smiling down at me with a slightly uneasy posture, my tray in his too perfect hands that could easily destroy me. "Hello, Isabella—"

"Bella," I corrected quickly.

"Bella," he repeated, the name somehow making him more comfortable. "Bella, I would like to buy your lunch as an apology for this morning." He was looking at me with this hopeful and expectant look.

I felt like saying no would be like kicking a puppy.

"..You don't need to do that," I quickly declined. "I already forgave you."

He looked like he might argue, lips twisting down before he turned towards the register. I quickly followed, peeved he hadn't listened to me. But he placed the plate down before the cashier and just stood there. He didn't make one move to pay for it for me, respecting my wishes.

I grinned up at him—it was obviously hurting him to not help me. I quickly slid the lady that was staring up at Jasper with a glazed look in her eyes my lunch money before trying to gather it back into my hands.

Jasper beat me to it. "At least allow me to make it up to you by inviting you to sit with my siblings and I."

It wasn't hard to find the group of vampires trying to mingle among humans, each of the four staring us down. They looked like Jasper (or I) was going to descend into madness and start killing humans.

It was a bit unnerving. I think the energy they were giving off was worse than the humans.

"..I think I'm going to need to pass. Hard pass. Outside sounds best right now."

He looked slightly appalled that I would rather sit outside than near his family. The look didn't last long, but he still led the way outside, holding my tray hostage.

"I'm not getting rid of you, are I?"

His brow raised as he paused at the door, his hand on the handle. He peered down at me like I was an exotic animal, head tilting as if gauging something. "Do you truly want to?"

I blinked up at him, his question making me uncertain. Was I cautious of him? Yes, he was strong enough to kill everyone in the cafeteria, except _maybe_ me. Protection magic makes that hard. Was I necessarily afraid of him? Not really. Besides, if my father knew of vampires existence in his town and they were _still_ there.. That's saying something.

"Dunno," I shrug, nodding towards the door. "I will if you don't keep moving your feet, though."

He pushed the door open with a soft chuckle, the air blowing against me. I took a sharp breath as the pressure around me from the intense attention that was being shoved against me increased. It felt like someone had just barreled against my mind, pulling my eyes towards the perpetrator.

The boy—vampire—looked frustrated, his copper hair matted into what was the current style while the female next to him with a pixie cut looked more so. The pain they were trying to cause me frustrated me—I couldn't figure out what I'd done to deserve it and what the pain meant. Were they trying to get into my mind and invade my privacy? The thought brought a white hot anger that had Jasper ushering me out of the cafeteria, cutting my vision off from them.

"I apologize for my siblings," Jasper was saying as I tried to calm myself. I wrapped my jacket around me tighter and he led me over to a section of the wall that had not been drenched in water. It allowed us to sit down in relative cover without the rain hitting us.

"Yeah, well. If they were doing what I think they were trying to do.. Well, they better not be," I grumbled, plucking the sandwich off the tray he still held.

"What did you think they were trying to do? Besides glare at you."

I glanced up at him, brow raising. "Hm." I supposed he wasn't going to just come out and say anything. "You never know with you people."

He blinked at me. "You people?"

"Yeah, that isn't working for you, Jasper. And I know the moment I say the word, your 'siblings'," I held up my fingers to make the quotations, "are going to descend upon me. So tell me, what do you think I am?"

He looked slight shocked I would just come out and say it, but I wasn't one to beat around the bush. We weren't going to play a game of beating around the bush for months before having a heartfelt conversation were we come out of the closet about what we are.

Not my style.

He took too long answering so I just gave it to him, shrugging. "I am a witch. You're a.." I paused, looking up at the blond girl that had appeared next to Jasper. That was super unnerving. She definitely wasn't there before.

"What? Say it," she smirked. "Out loud."

"You're a faerie," I deadpanned, frowning at her. "You should at least _pretend_ to blend. I can't change memories yet to cover up for you vampires."

Jasper blinked at me, shocked. "You're not afraid of us?"

"Do I have any reason? You're vegetarian, yeah?"

The girl grinned at me, flipping her long mane over her shoulder. "I like her," she declared as if I wasn't right there, nodding. "Rosalie."

"Bella."

"You don't have a very strong scent," Rosalie observed, head tilting as she stared down at her. "And the sound of blood flowing through your veins is muted, too."

Ashes and the sunstone. I sent a quick prayer of thanks to Charlie before nodding up at Rosalie. "Makes it easier, hmm? Less chance of getting my throat ripped out."

"Edward and Alice are flipping out," Rosalie informed Jasper. He let out a sigh.

"I know. She has a barrier. They can't stand not knowing."

"So being like everyone else," I added, including myself before taking a chomp of the apple he added to my tray.


	3. chapter three

**Author's Note:** Thank you all for your lovely reviews! They bring me a touch of anxiety and then brighten up my day in a way that not even my dog can! In response, here's the next chapter. The next one will be longer, I promise!

* * *

Anatomy and Physiology was after lunch. It took me a moment to realize I was surrounded by seniors—Charlie had messed with my schedule. Obviously, my Biology II class wasn't good enough for him.

"Are you going to go in or just stand in everyone's way?" I heard Rosalie behind me. I couldn't move fast enough into the room for her, turning to watch as she made her way into the room with a smirk. My eyes rolled upwards as I shook my head. The person that followed her was _certainly_ not a high schooler—he looked like he belonged in college rather than high school, especially with his giant arms and broad swagger. He paused in front of me, his hand dropping ontop of my head like we were siblings.

"Bella!" he exclaimed, pointed messing up my hair. "Finally, someone to even the scale, yeah? I heard you gave Edward and Alice migraines." He shot me a wink before following Rosalie to the back of the class.

Jasper followed after him, offering me an apologetic smile as he helped me make sense of the mess that was my hair now. "My.. siblings are very lively."

"I noticed," I grumbled half-heartedly. It was actually nice having not to pretend to be human around these people. It was different in a good way.

He bumped my shoulder in a friendly manner before nodding towards Emmett and Rosalie. "Come sit with us."

I followed him, lips slowly pulling upwards into a smile. This was almost like having real friends. Now all that was left was for me to accidentally reach out with my energy and freak them out.

My mood dropped at the thought and Jasper gave me a curious glance as we sat down. Emmett's shaking leg caught my eye, brow raising at the human nervous tick. Rosalie was drawing designs on Emmett's large arm with a nail, head propped up with her hand.

It was the only time I'd actually seen them looking _mildly_ human. Now take away the too perfect hair and pale skin and add a few zits and they would fit in.

The teacher, Mr. Butcher, made his entrance quickly and started taking role before class had even started. Anxiety filled me as I quickly pulled myself from my seat with my slip that I was supposed to have all my teachers sign. It was obvious that I'd either forgotten or had skipped class from the empty slots.

I handed it to him, lips twisting as he paused calling role to stare at it.

"Isabella Swan, eh? You didn't get signatures for your other classes."

Of course he was going to call me on it. I just knew I wasn't going to enjoy this semester with someone like him breathing down my neck.

"There was an emergency with my dad," I told him quietly, knowing the kids in the first row were trying desperately to hear me while the vampires in the back would hear it like I was screaming.

Butcher raised his brows, "Oh?" He wanted me to go on.

"It's private, sir," I pushed out through clenched teeth.

The teacher looked like he wanted to argue—chastise me, color rising on his cheeks in annoyance at my small rebellion.

"Shark week," Emmett coughed from the back, hacking out his laughter from trying to cover for me.

Butcher promptly went red in embarrassment rather than from anger, muttering a few things under his breath before signing my slip and letting me off. I returned to my seat as fast as I could, not sure if I should thank Emmett or be annoyed by him.

"Thanks, I guess?"

He snorted, eyes rolling. "Oh, the pleasure is all mine. Butcher is a hard-ass. I made a game of making him super uncomfortable."

And then he promptly turned to Rosalie, hand reaching behind her head to fist itself into her hair and drag her closer to openly kiss her soundly.

Forget the teacher—they made _me_ uncomfortable! I looked away from them quickly, finding Jasper staring at me. He shrugged just a bit, ignoring the teacher that was trying to yell at Emmett and Rosalie to distance themselves.

"Bella, are you alright?" he asked quietly, head tilting as if he was listening to something.

"I'm fine."

"Bella, your emotions have been going hay-wire."

I blinked at him, brows furrowing. "How would you know that?"

"Because you're shoving them at me?"

I drew in a sharp breath when I realized I _am_ touching him with my energy, invisible fingers poking and prodding for a reaction.

"I am so sorry!" I squeaked, drawing my energy back and shoving it into a jar within me, trying desperately to screw on the cap. Embarrassment spread through me and I could have screamed. There goes the pretend friends I had made.

"No worries," he laughed quietly, his gray eyes softening at the corners. Those eyes seemed to stare through me, cutting all the layers of protection I'd built up. "You're still relatively new, aren't you? Being... you." He pauses, eyes casting about us before saying 'you'. He was cautious at least, not willing to throw me under a bus.

I lower myself further into my chair, slumping over. "It's pretty obvious, sadly."

He didn't judge me for being a noob, instead, I felt his energy reach out to mine, soothing my ruffled feathers and emotions.

"How are you able to do that?" I questioned quietly. I had only heard of other witches being able to reach out to one another—it was used to calm and offer strength even if they couldn't physically. The years I had spent without it had made me feel like a lone island, thousands of miles away from my people.

He turns his head my way just a bit, slumped over in his seat with his head resting on his arms like a typical high schooler. At least their mannerisms fit in. "It's my ability. Empathy. I can.. taste your emotions and influence them." His voice was the softest whisper and I knew humans around us wouldn't be able to hear it. Humans and witches had slightly physiology—the smallest difference that allowed my senses to be heightened minutely.

Things were clicking into place—its why I'd felt him reach out to me and why my magic immediately slapped the attempt away. It hadn't been able to ascertain whether he meant me harm or not—where it was able to now.

It made me wonder, my pencil pausing from copying the words Butcher had etched over the chalkboard. "You could have witch ancestry."

He turned to stare at me fully and I could feel Emmett and Rosalie's attention.

"That makes sense," Emmett murmured behind us.

"Mmm."

I turned my full attention back to the class despite knowing Butcher had nothing to offer me in the way of education. I had already studied the human physiology in depth to better take care of Renee—the woman was childish and bird-brained. Someone had to care for her. I couldn't decide if I was glad it wasn't me anymore or if I was melancholy over it.

No, I had bigger things to worry about. Like the fact that my school was crawling with vampires. At least the three here seemed alright. My mind went back to the pair that had glared me down rather rudely in the cafeteria.

"So.." I murmured quietly, the vampires perking up. "Can any of you tell me why I caused the other two of you to freak out?"

Emmett let out a soft snort. "Because you leveled the field. They like control and you threaten it."

I frowned, my lips twisting. "Control freaks," I muttered quietly. It reminded me of Renee.

Rosalie shrugged, holding up her nails for her inspection like the typical high schooler that was obsessed with vanity. "They're our siblings. There's a reason for it in the very least."

"Only they use it as a crutch," Emmett grumbled, obviously bitter about something.

"Edward doesn't fight fair," Jasper leaned over to inform me helpfully, his voice soft. It sent a shot of something like electricity as it tickled my ear. I fought down the blush, nodding as I shoved a thankful emotion his way so he wouldn't sense my unease.

He seemed pleased to have helped me, and even more pleased with how I showed him my gratitude.

"Group up!" Butcher called from the front of the class, sending a gruff glare to the back. He didn't care for the fact that we _obviously_ were not paying attention. "Groups of two, students."

Behind us, Rosalie waited with a pointed stare that had Emmett immediately lift his desk (that was too small for him) and drop it next to her.

Anxiety welled in me when I realized the attention of countless human boys that had quickly turned in their seats to try to catch my eye. I let out a sigh of relief when Jasper slid his desk next to mine with a snicker, sending a triumphant smirk towards the lesser boys.

"Thanks," I muttered under my breath. I didn't want to mingle with some random boy with whom I had nothing in common with.

"It's not like I wanted to be paired with any of the vultures either, Bella. You're doing me a favor as much as I'm doing you one," he chuckled, his energy reaching out to smooth mine once more. "Are you anxious because it's your first day or is this just you being.. you?"

"It's all me," I groaned, letting my head drop as I felt the attention draining from me thankfully. "The doctors I was forced to go to call it social anxiety. I call it human-anxiety."

His brow raises, the smirk unable to slip from his face. I could feel his humor press against me as our arms brushed, curiosity lacing it. "Oh? Aren't you supposed to be some kind of representative of humans?"

I let out a snort, not bothering to move my arm away. He was referring to a witch's role in the world though it was nice to know how he was feeling—it all felt less invasive. It was strange how it didn't bug me as much as someone poking at my mind did. "I'm a crappy representative, if you ask me. I was picked on for the majority of my school life. I don't hold too much love for them."

"You say that.. But somehow, I don't believe you."

I looked at him dubiously, brows furrowing. I didn't know what he meant by that and all he was giving me on the emotion front was a calm certainty.

The bell rang out our escape from class without me even realizing what we were supposed to be doing for our groups. Jasper felt my worry, quickly handing me a paper as he stood with his gathered books. "We have a group project. I wrote down the particulars. It's not due for a few weeks but it would be best to get it completed quickly to ensure you got a good grade."

"Oh, yeah. That's fine," I nodded.

"Probably shouldn't bring her home, Jasper," Emmett advised in a strangely calm manner. From what I'd just learned about him, he was typically happy go lucky, but he was very serious about me not going to their house.

"Likely to start a riot," Rosalie agreed.

I followed them out of the classroom, brows furrowing. There was something there that I was missing, something that wasn't being spoken but what clearly acknowledged by the look on Jasper's face. "You guys are vegetarian, though, right? Why wouldn't I?"

Not that I particularly wanted to go into a vampire's den, but not being allowed to rubbed me wrong.

Rosalie shared a look with Emmett and then stared down Jasper but he didn't look like he wanted to say anything. She huffed before directing her statement to me.

"Because Alice is Jasper's mate. And a jealous vampire, no matter how unfounded, isn't pleasant."


	4. chapter four

chapter four

A slap to the face, a blow to the gut, a punch in the kidneys. Any of these would be an adequate description of how I'd felt after that tidbit of info. I hadn't even realized that knowing Jasper already had someone—that Jasper was _mated—_ would hurt me.

Maybe it was knowing that the kind and sensible Jasper that had gone out of his way to ensure that I didn't feel offended or uncomfortable in school was stuck with such a controlling... _witch._ No, I wasn't even going to filter. Because she didn't deserve that title and I wasn't going to put myself in the same group as her. No, the _child_ that was probably no older than fifteen when she was turned was a _bitch._ How was she not deemed an immortal child?

I pulled myself to a stop as I paced my bedroom. Immortal child was going too far for never having truly met her. As I understood it, it was one of the biggest insults and sins in the vampire world. And whatever I felt about Alice—no matter how unfounded—it would reflect on Jasper. And I, at the very least, respected him.

I flopped down onto my bed, drawing the large grimoire Charlie had told me to read when I was home alone closer. I absently flipped through the pages, letting out a sigh. The pain I'd felt—and had quickly hidden from Jasper because that was _not_ a conversation I wanted to have—could only mean one thing. In some way, shape, or form, I liked him. Which wasn't bad.. Unless it was the dangerous kind of love that would get me in trouble with people more powerful than all of the Cullens and my father put together.

I randomly flipped to a page in the middle of the grimoire, perking up when I read " _Confusecto Infectucto"._ It was created by P. Halliwell, back in the middle of the Salem witch trials. It had to be one of the oldest spells in this particular grimoire. It was around then that my ancestors had lost almost everything they owned in a fire to fake their deaths. It was either that or die a witch's death of hanging. No one wanted that, to be certain.

It was ritual for a ward, requiring jade and a handful of ingredients like candles, salt, and mercury. It was supposed to create a magical barrier to prevent all magical ways of spying like scrying.. or mind reading.

I was on my feet within moments, thundering down the stairs and into Charlie's basement to gather the supplies from his storage room. He found me there on the floor, slumped against the wall with an extremely intricate magic circle in front of me and a pleased grin on my face when I finally made it work.

"..Looks like you decided to be rather productive today, Bells."

"Nah, I didn't do my homework," I groaned from the floor. He was lowering himself in front of me almost instantly, hand on my forehead as he gazed at me worriedly.

"You overdid it, Isabella. What have I told you?"

"That I need to be careful?"

He flicked me on the forehead, causing me to flinch before letting out a sigh and gathering me up into his strong arms. He carried me like a small girl again, making his way up the stairs. "Don't get me wrong, I'm very proud you managed to make the barrier work. But you have to take better care of yourself. You know what kind of witch you are."

"Protection," I grumbled in response. "The weakest of them all."

He stopped where he stood, staring down at me like he was insulted. "Where did you hear that?" he demanded, almost throwing me onto the couch in the den as he took up the typical dad stance with his hands on his hips.

"..Renee?" I answered before realizing my foolishness. Of course someone that hated magic in all its forms would make me think I was weak.

"Renee," he repeated in a growl, looking more creature than human. Outside, I could hear thunder erupting in the distance.

In that moment, a bird flew in through the open window, its sleek feathers glistening slightly with the dampness it brought from outside. The large black thing landed on Charlie's shoulders, instantly calming him as it stared me down with large and intelligent crystal blue eyes.

It was a creature that I had seen only a few times, but it was those moments from my childhood I would never forget.

"..Pryde?"

Charlie's brows raise, looking between the raven and me. The way he had shifted gears nearly gave me whip lash, one moment looking like he was about to hunt down Renee and the next looking amused. "You remember my familiar, Bells?"

I nodded my head slowly. "How could I not? He saved me.."

Charlie grimaced as he nodded, "Ah.. When we learned your clothing needed to be washed in the ashes.. Your magic is part of the reason why they have always targeted you, sadly. But it's not because you're weak, my belladonna."

He was back to being my loving dad, not the booming authority of the magistrates of Salem, the witch society. It was the Volturi's pair, both from humans but at least the witches retained their humanity. He reached over to the large bird, nudging him slightly.

The raven bobbed his head, pushing off Charlie's shoulder and latching itself towards me. He didn't quite get to me before his form shifted, a tall man taking its place. He looked much the same as the last time I'd seen him, if not as tall. He held the same eyes he had as a raven though his midnight blue feathers were replaced with light brown hair.

He stared at me coldly for a moment before reaching out and resting his hand on my head. It was the same as Emmett but the emotion that it inspired was so much different. Charlie's familiar was like my brother—he was my best friend when I was a child, shifting into whatever animal I wanted, letting me ride him into a pretend battle.

"Your father missed you."

 _I missed you._

I could see the words he was too prideful to say, my eyes watering just a bit as I sniffled. His eye twitched once before I flung myself against him, wrapping my arms around his waist and burrowing my face into his chest. "I missed you, too!"

Pryde did not do affection, but he did to pats. He patted my head, my shoulders, and my back as I calmed down enough to release him.

"You must be more cautious," he warned soon as he didn't have to awkwardly pat me anymore, his ice cold eyes stern. They looked more like glass crystal than real eyes—one of the tells of what he was. "You expended enough energy with your ward that I felt it."

I felt more chastised by him than Charlie.

"Hey, that's my job, Pryde."

Pryde turned to give Charlie a displeased look. "Do not coddle her, Charlie. She needs to know what awaits her."

"Awaits me?" I questioned, brows furrowing.

Charlie let out a sigh, sending Pryde a look of displeasure. "That is _not_ how I wanted to have this conversation. And you know it."

He shrugged. Pryde was not bothered. Anything short of violence towards someone he deemed his didn't bother him.

"Bells. Are you hungry?"

I nodded, looking between the two of them.

"Good. _Pryde,_ go get us food from Port Angeles."

Pryde gave him the most insulted look I'd ever seen on his face. "I am _not_ your errand boy, Charles."

"Aren't you?" Charlie asked innocently.

Pryde grumbled but a moment later he was taking off as a raven, bursting through the open window and into the elements.

"..Are you sure you should send him out in the rain?"

"He's a familiar. Rain and wind won't slow him down. Give him thirty minutes, tops."

.

Charlie didn't know how to start whatever it is he needed to tell me, but I knew he wanted to be done with it by the time Pryde returned. Otherwise, Pryde could just come out and tell me whatever it is Charlie was trying to carefully word.

Charlie thought I was so breakable.

He settled into his chair with a bone-weary sigh, a hand sliding over his forehead and eyes.

I sat on the couch, my legs crossed as I waited impatiently. I wanted him to just come out and say it—wouldn't it be easier that way?

"Charlie." He looked up at me, eyes a little sharper. He never did care for me to use his name. "Just say it. I'm a big girl. I can take it."

He let out a frustrated sigh, shaking his head. "But you're not. You haven't had a chance to grow, to experience the world and I want those things for you. But Pryde is right. You have to be cautious in our world, for your safety and freedom."

I blinked at him, head tilting worriedly. I didn't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. "My freedom?"

He let his hands fall on his lap, fingers loosely threading as he stared at me. He didn't look like Charlie that way, with the shadows drenching him, twisting his features into something more sinister. "It's time for a history lesson, I suppose. Years ago, our people faced the greatest threat of our existence. The humans we had always done our best to protect from the dark, to heal and guide, were turned against us in fear. Young women were seduced, told what to say with promises of eternal beauty and life. It is what began the witch trials, Bella."

"..Vampires?" I whispered quietly. Eternal beauty and life was kind of their calling card.

"Vampires. The Volturi in particular. They are the ruling party of the vampires—vampire royalty if you will. They had just destroyed what they believed to be the last of the Children of the Moon; werewolves. They turned their eye to witches, next. They wished for control, for no other supernatural entity to be their match.

"Many died, Bella. It was a horrible war, vampires making pawns out of humans, the power hungry creatures picking out the witches and allowing humans to do the dirty work."

The way he was talking, his eyes growing more and more distant.. This wasn't just a history lesson, this was a walk down memory lane. "But.. Witches don't live longer than two hundred years, I thought?"

He offered me a humorless smile, "Through normal means, yes. But my specialty is familiar magic. And I don't have just any familiar. Pryde is an elf who tied himself to our family centuries ago. He tied himself to _me,_ centuries ago."

"..Is that why you're a magistrate of Salem?"

He let out a sigh—this conversation was draining him, making him look much older than his apparent forty years. "Salem was created in that chaos. We took the name to remember what can come from power unchecked. We hid, protected ourselves until a new kind of magic came from it. Protection magic." He reached out a hand, covering my knee and giving it a soft squeeze. "The same magic you specialize in. It is the reason Pryde saved you from a vampire so many years ago, why you have always had something on you that dulled your scent enough to not be tantalizing to their kind."

"I.. I don't understand," I said quietly, staring at the hand that felt like it was of a stranger's. "What does that have to do with me?"

"Protection.. We used that magic to defend ourselves when we attacked the vampires. When we forced them to regulate themselves better. When we created the Council for the Welfare and Protection of Supernatural Creatures and forced them to abide by our laws. All this came at a grave cost, Bella."

It was like I had a weight on my chest, slowly squeezing around my heart. The floor was disappearing and my freedom along with it. I wasn't stupid—I knew what was coming.

"The one that held that power became someone irreplaceable. Only they could join all witch covens—white and black—under one cause: Salem. Only they could lead us forward. Their power came at an even graver cost to themselves, however. One, those that used a large amount of it could easily be traced and found. And two, the more protection magic they used... the smaller their lifespan became.

"I have sheltered your magic for years, Bella. But if you continue this path.. Salem will demand you fulfill your 'duty'."

.

I never wanted to use magic again, I decided. The desire to control my destiny was strong enough to ignore the pain caused by denying who I truly was. Pretending just to be normal was an enormous task but the risk was too great.

I continued like normal after learning one stray spell could destroy my life, interacting sparingly with Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper and moving throughout my day like a zombie. The decision that laid before me distracted me from Calculus as my high school classes became redundant in the long run. If I accepted my 'fate' and accepted who I truly was, it would mean I would be trapped into becoming some Supreme High Priestess, holding the keys to the future of all witches—and humans if I was being honest. It sounded interesting in theory, but I knew I wouldn't be able to handle the pressure and the constant threat of death looming over the horizon because I over-expended myself. Not to mention petty witch cliques and the literal death threats there would be on my life.

A stack of books dropped loudly into the desk next to me, pulling me from my train of thought. I glanced upwards towards the aggressor, catching the too-fake smile of a Cullen vampire, the mind-reader.

"Hello, my name is Edward Cullen," he said charmingly. "I believe you know my siblings, Rosalie, Jasper and Emmett."

People that were charming couldn't be trusted. And he didn't 'believe'. He _knew._

I pushed my hair over my shoulder and eyed him warily, brow raising. "Bella. But you already knew that."

It didn't phase him, instead his smile took on a crooked quality that I was sure got all the girls. "Well, it is a small town. Word travels fairly quickly."

"Sometimes as fast as a thought," I agreed sarcastically, turning my head away from him. I wanted to continue my internal debate with myself, but he wasn't about to let me.

"Shall I help you adjust to this class?" He continued, obviously having difficulty keeping his voice steady after my barb. "I'm sure the curriculum is different from Arizona."

He was all insincere helpfulness and fake smiles. Somehow, it just rubbed me further in the wrong direction.

"Unnecessary," I stated haughtily as I looked to the front of the class. I didn't have any interest in talking to the controlling jerk who could be so easily thrown off by someone immune to him.

"You're a bit of a loner, aren't you?"

"Picking my brain won't work, Cullen," I sighed, feeling him poking at the corners of my mind for an opening.

I could see him send a glare my way from the corner of my eyes, aggravated that not even his attractiveness didn't even phase me.

"Trust me, I know," he muttered.

I ignored him for the rest of class, especially the looks he shot me every so often as if to gauge my reaction to something. It got tiresome fast and I was grateful the bell rang when it did, giving me the cue to escape.

I continued the zombie act for the rest of my classes until lunch when Jasper found me in the library by my lonesome, sitting in a corner and pretending to read.

"I had wondered if the negative emotions were coming from you."

I looked up at him, once again remembering how stupid I was just yesterday. A budding crush on a mated vampire was probably the most embarrassing thing I'd ever done to date. It by far takes the cake, overlapping the time I made Renee's fiance, Phil, piss himself right after he proposed.

It was my way to cover up discomfort with sarcasm and I did not disappoint today.

"What gave it away? My cheery complexion?"

"Actually, you're rather pale. Might even pass yourself off as a vampire."

I stared up at him blankly, "It was a joke."

He threw me a grin, plopping down next to me with all of the grace of a feather. "Oh, I know."

I frowned, turning my eyes back to my book. Once it became apparent I wasn't going to pay attention to him my book disappeared from my fingers, reappearing in his hands.

"..This is a dictionary."

"Yes, and?"

"You're reading a dictionary."

"Thank you for that helpful explanation, Captain Obvious."

He didn't look amused as he flipped a few pages of the dictionary as if curious there was something more to it. A secret compartment or random spells.

But no, it was an ordinary dictionary I'd picked up from a shelf.

He tosses it way from him disdainfully and it clatters to the table loudly. "Is that what humans do for fun these days? Read a dictionary?"

"I can't speak for the rest of humanity," I shrug before letting out a soft laugh. Somehow, watching him be so put-out by the book made me feel a bit better. At the very least, he was an interesting person to befriend.

I paused, frowning. Was I even technically allowed to do that? While vampires and witches were no longer natural enemies—not like vampires and werewolves, anyways—they weren't exactly friendly. There was a lot of bad blood there, a lot of pain and suffering. The balance between vampires and witches was a delicate one and if I were to join Salem... a friendship with the Cullens—excluding the control freaks—would be frowned upon.

"It's interesting how your barrier drops just a bit when you think deeply. And you've been doing that all day."

I let out a soft sigh, shrugging once more. "Just something that I'm dealing with at the moment. I haven't found the solution yet."

He nods, reaching across the table to slide the book back in front of me. "When would you like to work on our project?"

He had commented on it but he wasn't going to push or force me to explain my emotions to him. It was nice.

"Dunno. Soon?" Everything else seemed so large compared to a school project I wasn't going to learn anything from.

He cracked a small smile, "Soon."

.

Numbing sensation and then fire. The ball that caused me that pain bounced away, smacking the ground as it went.

"Are you okay?!" The voice sounded disconnected, barely louder than the ringing.

It wasn't long before people started appearing near me, trying to help me up and offering ice packs.

This was gym class, the bane of my existence. All the humans around me had so much more physical potential than I did. It was as if I had the same type of muscles as them.. just a very outdated model. And the funny thing was that it didn't take me forcing my magic to behave itself. My magic _refused_ to protect me in gym class. It was just like Charlie, gruffly telling me this was tough love and I should suck it up. It would build character.

I hate character.

After taking two other dodge balls to the face, the gym teacher finally called it quits, telling me to go to the nurse's office. One of the boys, Nick or something, tried to ask if he could take me but the teacher quickly told him not to focus on flirting. I tried not to laugh loudly as I promised myself to make a habit of skipping gym.

The biggest problem of my day wasn't gym though. The moment I walked outside, I could feel him lurking in the shadows of the building, watching me.

I turned towards him, my glare piercing through the darkness. "Really? Don't you have anything better to do?" I questioned before turning away and stalking towards my truck. He wasn't even worth my time.

He was next to me in a moment, hands shoved into his pockets as he matched my pace. "I can't stand not knowing," Edward began. "Its like if someone took your magic from you. I _need_ to know what you're thinking."

"Uh, no, I don't."

He growled at me before suddenly cutting himself off. "Would you allow me to take you out, then?"

I pulled myself into my truck, pretending to think for a moment.

"Uh, no."

And then I slammed the car door on his face. I giggled to myself the entire way home, remember that look of shock on his face. It was so satisfying.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** As promised, a longer chapter (by one thousand words). I have to be careful, the longer my chapters are, the more jumping around between scenes and the less time I spend on description and such.

Thank you so much to those who reviewed. As always, they keep me motivated to post more!

Evelyn.


	5. chapter five

I stared down at my put-put.. putter? Thing? I wasn't exactly a golf fan, sue me for not knowing the exact name of it. I stared down at the stick dubiously, bewildered by the entire scenario. "So.. What are we doing, exactly?"

A ways ahead of me, Emmett used a finesse I'd yet to see him exhibit as he putted the ball along the track.

"We're having 'fun'," Rosalie deadpanned as we shared a look that obviously said we didn't feel the same way. Jasper stood a bit to the back, smirking as he waited for his turn.

"And this is supposed to be fun?"

Emmett quickly turned back to us, now out of the zone after hitting the ball perfectly, as I knew he would. "Bells, you gotta understand," he began. "We've all be living _decades_ under the thumb of the all-knowing Cullens. And right now, you've given us a way to get around all of them. No one knows we even left school!"

I raised a brow at him. Really, they were just teenagers. "The teachers know."

"Yeah, well, no one cares about their opinions anyways."

I nodded—he had a point there.

"Anyways, we found out that around you, Alice can't see _shit._ "

"That's a good thing," Jasper rumbled, though he looked just a bit torn. After all, the control freak was his mate, right? I guess even vampires can get tired of their mates. The thought made me just a bit sad.. and I hated that it made me just a bit hopeful as well.

"So, basically, I'm just a way to escape the pressures of coven life?" I frowned at him, uncertain if I was okay with being used as a tool.

Rosalie shrugged, pushing her blond hair back, the strands just returning to where they were displaced from. "You use us to keep the humans away, don't you?"

"..Oh, so you knew?" I asked, bashful as my cheeks stained red.

Jasper's lips quirked upwards, his smirk becoming a smile before he pats me on the head. His energy stretched out to mine, reassuring me. "This is a symbiotic relationship, right?"

My eyes strayed to where Emmett was taking a shot and decided it wouldn't hurt to.. bend the rules a bit. The golf ball rolled down the lane, straight for the windmill, when it suddenly went just slightly off course, as if it hit a bump.. or if magic had nudged it. It smacked against the mini-windmill before returning to Emmett's feet.

"Dammit, Bella!" he hollered, cursing more as he snapped his putter on his knee. I watched as he flung the pieces into the windmill, each sticking out at an odd angle, my smile widening.

I looked up at Jasper with a bright smile, "Now, it is."

.

Frost came to Forks, taking with it what little sun that managed to slip past the defenses of the clouds. The weather grew colder but it felt like nothing else around me changed. I was living in worry of Salem, forcing myself to seem like a normal girl, and fighting off any and all attempts from the humans to befriend me. There were a few that were particularly hard to shake, but spending time with the Cullens (Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper) rebuked them. I didn't care much that it made me a source of contempt for other girls—me being in contact with the Cullens meant I was superior to them since they never mingled with humans. (For good reason.)

The only contempt I was worried about was from the fifteen year old vampire—Alice—and Edward. The more I interacted with my favorite Cullens in class, the more they seemed to hate me.

I stepped outside of my house, drawing in a deep breath. The cold seared my lungs as I felt a pull at my middle, urging me to stay home. It wasn't an unfamiliar sensation, my magic flaring even through my constant suppressing. It meant there was a large enough issue that was about to drop into my lap that it would be better just to stay at home and feign sickness.

I took a deep breath, shoving the feeling aside as I moved down the steps towards the drive way. I refused to believe something of that magnitude could happen in Forks where nothing bad happens. The most that could happen was me hurting myself in gym, something my magic didn't care for anyways.

I should have known better.

.

Death was approaching, time slowing down as I quickly went over my options. Either I die a pancake or die trying to erase the memories of every student here. I closed my eyes out of reflex—either way, I really didn't want to watch myself be made into a breakfast pastry. Of course the one day I suck it up and go to school despite knowing I shouldn't is the day that something like this happens.

I wondered what would hit first—the van or my magic?

The van tires screamed, the kid in the front seat was screaming, and the crowd was gasping. And through the misdt of it all, I could feel one gentle presence reaching for me.

Just as the van was about to squash me, I felt his arm wrap around me and my hair whipped through icy wind. My magic settled around him, a silent thank you dancing along his limbs.

My body still suspended in the air, it took me a moment to realize we had stopped. My eyes slowly peeled open to find myself face to face with my vampire.

It took me even longer to recognized that I just thought of him as _mine._ I tried to correct myself but I already knew the deed was done and there were other matters more important than a little forbidden crush.

He seemed content to stare—and so was I—but I couldn't forget my duty.

"Jasper, I'm going to need your help."

His head tilted, brows raising before nodding, coming out of whatever ravine he'd traveled down. "Of course, Bella." He set me down carefully, hands hovering when I wobbled.

I quickly reached under my shirt, pulling a vial on a long chain out. It was the same one that my mother left Charlie over, the same one he gave me my first day of school. "Don't let me catch you doing something stupid," he'd warned. Yep. This was the definition of stupid.

I popped off the cork and chugged it quickly, Jasper watching me worriedly. The effects of the elixir were instantaneous, my pupils most likely widening to cover my entire eye as I became painfully aware of _everything._ We were on the outskirts of the parking lot, away from the prying eyes. The humans were screaming just as the van hit my truck, worried they'd just witnessed my murder. I could hear the silencing of insects and critters, birds in the trees taking off in fear, and the vampires that had been at the scene as well.

I reached back and grabbed Jasper's hand, his energy wrapping around me and stilling my anxiety that threatened to overwhelm at so many powerful sensations. I reveled in the icy feeling of his hand, the first and the last time I'd have the courage to do so. Born out of necessity, I reminded myself. "I'm about to expend a lot of energy. Catch me, please?"

I didn't wait for an answer—the energy boost I received from the elixir wouldn't last long. I reached out and pulled on a single thread, tendrils of steam whipping around us as the warmth of my energy melted the frosted ground. Time seemed to still for a moment but I knew I had just forced myself into a vampire-like speed. Jasper was looking at me like I was an exotic animal, but I coudln't pay him any heed as I reached out and touched multiple minds, erasing the image of myself from the last few seconds. No one would know I had been standing there, waiting for death. Just me, Jasper... and the controlling brother that was fast approaching.

I was able to finish just as time started to move again for me, slumping against Jasper as the life drained from me. I didn't want to think about how much I just sacrificed so his family could continue to live comfortably.

Jasper caught me carefully, his arms wrapped around me and I could almost image them holding me lovingly. My imagination would have to be enough. It was all I was allowed.

"Bella?" Jasper's voice was in my ear, laced with concern.

The embrace drew out an emotion- something I could not control or keep from him. His arms drew me closer until I was being lifted from the ground once more. I was limp in his arms but wished I could have held onto him, pretending once more there was something more than friendship between us. But there wasn't and couldn't be. Especially when Edward had just reached us.

He went rigid and his grip on me tightened as if he feared Edward would rip me from his arms.

All I heard was a low growl before Edward appeared and then disappeared as Jasper moved us to a safer place to have this confrontation without witnesses

"Are you out of your mind?!" Edward hissed from somewhere behind us as Jasper eased me against a tree. "You've outed us all!"

My strength gone, my head lulls to the side until it rests against my shoulder. Jasper shoots me an apologetic glance before standing before me, guarding me.

"Can you not hear their thoughts, you fool? Not one of them wonder about Bella's well-being because _she_ took those thoughts out of their heads."

Edward looked stumped, drawing up short. And then he found a loophole—his face darkening once more. He was hell-bent on finding fault with me. "Her spells are unreliable! How do we know they won't suddenly remember? No, we must get rid of the problem."

His eyes, golden as the sun, flashed towards me, suddenly crouching like he was a creepy cat.

He wanted to kill me.

The thought shot terror through me, freezing me in place.

The bloodlust in the air was just like when I was a child, at the mercy of a creature much superior to myself. Just like then, I couldn't do anything but pull in jagged breaths.

"The _hell_ you will!" Jasper rose to my defense, refusing to move from between us.

It happened faster than my eyes could follow and the part of me that was still barely coherent knew I'd be looking through that grimoire later to see if there was a spell that would allow me to watch. If I survived this. Edward had apparently propelled himself towards us—whether to attack me or Jasper I couldn't tell—and then a loud crack sounded as a tree was suddenly no longer there and Edward was pulling himself up.

"How dare you!" He cried. I could just barely make out his flared nostrils and barred fangs from the distance, his eyes—normally green—shined yellow like a cat's.

"Leave," Jasper bit out, and even with is back to me, I was certain he looked every bit of vampire as Edward.

The ginger disappeared for a moment, making me believe that he had taken Jasper's advice and scrammed when a loud boom resounded in my body and the force of it flung Edward further than Jasper had.

My eyes had difficulty looking up to find who I owed my life to, letting out a grateful sigh.

"You've made your choice then, Bella," Pryde rumbled standing tall as he stared Edward down as the vampire pulled himself out of the rubble of another tree.

"It was made for me," I muttered, my limbs loosening but still useless.

He 'hmphed' at me before his eyes found Jasper. "You left him an opening, old friend. One might say you're getting rusty.. or soft."

First, the shock of almost dying—twice—and now Pryde was teasing? The end of the world was nigh.

Jasper growled at him, nodding his head to me. "I will take care of my 'little brother'. Get her home."

"Alice is going to kill you," I heard Edward taunt from somewhere in front of us, his voice full of gravel as if his jaw had been broken.

Jasper replied with a growl, turning to glare at Pryde. "What are you waiting for—his permission?"

I'd never seen this particular brand of smirk on Pryde's face. It was like he took pleasure in Jasper's discomfort. "No, I simply have a command I must complete first. Whether I retreat or not is entirely up to my new mistress."

I could feel the confusion in the air, blinking as Pryde carefully gathered me up into his arms much like Jasper had. His ice blue eyes stared into mine as his fingers feathered against my cheeks before holding me in place. It wasn't until his face was nearly on top of mine that I realized what was happening, but I was already too weak to reject or stop him.

Skin to skin contact had never brought me such life. It was like a waterfall of strength and power being poured down my throat and I wasn't sure I could hold all of it. I could feel what he was offering, what he was being forced to offer and that he wanted to do this even if Charlie had forced this on him. And I knew without a doubt I couldn't refuse—I had decided to step up to the plate, but at least I wouldn't be alone.

I accepted the bond and was so much stronger for it.

He drew away, but the energy he had given me a taste of didn't leave with him, instead swirling around me. I caused my hair to look like it was underwater, flowing around my face. It was smudged with different kinds of magic, each with a different flavor from his past masters. Some I was compatible with, others not so much.

I looked around us as he set me back on the ground, not bothering to steady me. The energy he had given me was more than enough to maintain my balance.

The vampires were staring at us like they'd just witnessed a freak show, Edward looking mildly terrified. One glance at a hardfaced Pryde told me all I needed to know. Without a moment to waste, Edward disappeared from my sight.

Pryde tensed to give pursuit but I held out my arm. "Leave him," I commanded, shocked by how my voice sounded, laced with power that my new familiar could not deny.

"Yes, mistress," Pryde replied mechanically and I sent him an apologetic glance. I hadn't meant to do that.

"I will follow him, tell Carlisle what happeneded. We can't have him lying and accidentally start a war."

"Thank you," I murmured, eyes falling to the found. "For saving me as well."

He offered me a gentlemanly smile, nodding. "My pleasure."

And just like Edward, he was gone, leaving me alone with my familiar.

All this.. because I didn't want to skip school.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Sorry it's been awhile since my last post- I got married! (Yay me!) But now I'm married and i don't have classes until January, so I'll try my best to post often. See you soon!

Evelyn.


	6. chapter six

To my credit, I was only freaking out a little bit.

I kept trying to rack my brain. What could I have done differently? How was I supposed to get out of this with my freedom intact? Where do I go from here? Salem was certain to come knocking, Pryde was now my familiar, my father was gone to find another, and there was a potential war that could be ignited between us and the Cullens.

So no, I couldn't sleep that night. It was spent scouring over different spell books and grimoires that my father had gained over the course of his very long life.

It seemed just my luck that the one time I needed my father most, he was gone. (I inwardly sighed, remembering Avatar.) I knew I should have skipped school.

I needed advice, but not the advice I knew Pryde would provide.

There was only one person I wanted to talk to… But I wasn't an idiot. There is no way I would be allowed to go there alone. The only option was for him to come to me.

"Pryde," I called softly. I knew he'd hear my summons no matter how quietly I called him.

He all but materialized next to me, a handmade cigarette between his lips as he eyed my desk. He pulled a drag before the cigarette disappeared out of sight, probably as to not drop any ash on the precious books. He blew out slowly, lips rounded as the smoke took on the form of an Asian dragon, long and ferocious as it wiggled through the air. It stole my thoughts for a moment, watching as it wrapped around me affectionately. It's head rubbed against my cheek before dispelling with a sickly sweet scent that lingered.

"You have been busy," he observed, absently picking at a page as he flipped it over.

"Yes. I had a favor to ask."

He raised a brow at that. "A favor?" he parroted, lips quirking. "What a way to ask when my every action is in your hands."

I frowned. I didn't like feeling like I owned him. I had known him since I was a child; the idea that I could command him to do my bidding was a source of discomfort. Such a prideful creature should never have to listen to the orders of someone like me.

"I would like for our relationship be more of a partnership—rather than a master and servant."

He smiled, a rare thing, but it didn't reach his eyes. Somehow, I could tell that he didn't entirely believe me. "Very well.. what is your wish, then? Speak it."

"I want to speak with Jasper."

He gaze turned thoughtful as he eyed me. "As you cannot very well go into a den of vampires, are you asking me to fetch him?"

"You know him better than I do, I think. Do you think he would come?"  
His small smile turned sly, "For you? Indeed, I believe he would."

I tried not to read much into his words, I really did. That didn't stop the part of me that wanted to hope, however. I let out a small sigh. He was mated, I reminded myself. No one could really blame me, though. Vampires were far too attractive for their own good and I was only human. Didn't hurt that he was the most pleasant out of all of them.

I looked up and noticed my familiar was nowhere to be found. I supposed he'd already gone to complete his task of retrieving Jasper Hale. Trusting Pryde to get Jasper safely through all of the wards, I made my way downstairs to make myself a cup of hot cocoa, not bothering to go easy on the whipped cream.

The house is presently quiet without Charlie there to live in it with his football playing obnoxiously from the den. Every minute that passed without him returning home made me uneasy, thousands of scenarios running through my mind of every bad thing that could happen. Had Salem gotten to him first? He is a magistrate, the leader over the magistrates. No one but the Supreme and her advisers were higher ranking than he. Had he been born a woman, it's very likely that my father would have become a supreme. That scenario was only slightly better than the one I was currently facing.

Sprinkling cinnamon on top, I turned and leaned against the kitchen counter. I was taking in the intoxicating aroma when it hit me: the feeling of something very dark and very dead approaching my home. Vampire.

And it wasn't Jasper.

.

Deciding that I would focus later on the fact that I could tell it wasn't Jasper later—maybe when I would worry about the shattered mug of hot cocoa on my kitchen floor. I raced up the stairs, magic sizzling in my veins as I checked the wards' integrity. I had thirty seconds at most before it would be at my doorstep and my wards would give me an added minute at the least. That's assuming it could manage to get through it.

If. If is good.

But also life-threatening.

I tore into my room, banging an arm in the process, and reached my desk in record time. The wards were weak—the cause most likely my father's absence. It wouldn't be so terrifying if Pryde was here! How long does it take to pick someone up? (Long enough since he had to deal with the other Cullens.. probably.)

The grimoire that I needed was buried under other books and I created yet another mess in my haste, priceless books dumped around me on the floor. Words swam as I flipped through pages, so painfully aware that the unknown vampire—and it had to be someone I had never met before—was stalking my home, looking for a way in. I could feel it circling, feel the bloodlust in the air.

It wanted me.

I let out a soft breath, calming myself as the spell seemed to appear on the page.

It was a spell I'd skimmed over hours before and while I had never attempted it before—much less anything from its school of magic—I knew I could do it. And _hopefully_ Pryde will feel me borrowing some of his magic and come back running. Or flying. Whatever.

I took several more calming breaths before my lips wrapped around the foreign language as if I had been born to speak it.

" _Locoem... Contagaris."_

Warmth instantly seized me, surging from my chest down every limb until I was comfortably insulated before it turned into an unpleasant heat. The spell was wrecking havoc from the inside, while the outside looked as if it had come straight from the Disney version of Cinderella, complete with the sparkles and ivory ropes of magic that spiraled around me. Swirling, twirling, coiling. Wrapping me until all I could see was white light, my mind barely having time to regret what I had obviously done wrong until it just.. disappeared. In it's place was my perfect clone, staring at me with worry.

"This is your plan?" Her voice was slightly shrill as her hands found her hips in a priggish stance.

Oh gods, that was _my_ voice _?_ Did I really sound like that?

"Not a lot I can do at last moment!" I griped at my clone, deciding she wasn't my 'perfect' clone. She seemed like a more teenaged, more bratty version of me.

"So, I get to die for you, huh?" she sneered.

I rubbed my face, my mental countdown nearing zero as I felt the vampire's ire. They didn't care to be shut off from their prey.

"Ugh, you're so annoying. Hurry up and finish the transmutation, then," Bella-bitch ordered snarkily.

I rolled my eyes as I pulled on my magic, worried by how much a simple illusion spell had drained me. Pryde wasn't here for me to use his magic, leaving me even more vulnerable. I flipped a few pages before I found the spell I needed, memorizing the incantation before reaching out and grasping my clone's hand. I felt nothing—she wasn't really there, after all. Had I spent more mana, I might have been able to give her more heat. As it was, she would just barely have enough heat to her for the vampire to follow her. Which was all I needed. To buy myself some time.

" _Silortia Feliaro,"_ I murmured quietly, emerald flashes surging between our fingers. The transmutation would allow her to run faster—hopefully at a speed that might rival a vampire.

I looked up at my clone, her sneer throwing me off.

"I'll go run him off. Make sure you keep yourself safe."

At least she wasn't a complete jerk. I nodded, blinking once. She was in front of me one moment and gone the next, leaving a gust of air in her wake.

I didn't take a second to mourn my clone, instead shoving myself into my closet and slamming the door behind me. It was a tight fit, shoved in with all the shoes, coats, and random articles of clothing. I held out my hand, grunting as I pulled on my remaining mana to quickly erect a barrier. Abjuration magic—protection. The one thing I was definitely good for.

My preparations complete, there was really nothing else I could do except to wait. I didn't know how I felt about this being my last day alive if this vampire managed to get to me, and much less about dying in my sad excuse for a closet. Hugging my legs to my chest, I waited.

I could feel my clone running, could feel the sensation of the vampire giving chase. If I closed my eyes, I could almost see it...

…

..

.

And suddenly I _could_ see it, feel it. I was running, shoving my legs under me. I ran instinctively in the direction of Pryde—if only I could get to him, everything would be fine. I reached out for him, screaming for him in my mind.

 _Save me_. I screamed.

But the vampire was gaining, as if the hunt was what he was made for, his sinister laughter making my ears ring, promising pain and death.

I ran over uprooted trees, dodging roots and holes, and he was following me like it was child's play, toying with me.

And then I could feel them. Pryde and Jasper, racing for me. I could feel Jasper's emotions, jumbled and confusing, as he seemed to be trying to reach for me. But I didn't have my mana in this body, this copy of myself.

No abjuration magic to save me from the monster chasing me.

Pain shredded into my shoulder as I was suddenly slammed into the unforgiving ground, my screams cut off as teeth ripped into my back.

The sensation slammed me back into my own body, the scream clawing its way out of my throat as my fingers clawed at the back of my shirt. It burned more than the time I had burnt myself with the stove, the time I played with fire, and the time I broke my arm all at once.

I looked down at my hand as it shook in the dim, paling at the sight.

Blood.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Sorry for the late update, guys! Writer's block is a harlot. So here's a short chapter to get me back into it!

(Also, if there is anything you guys want to see [since I'm making this for you], let me know! Random scenes that can help me with getting chapters out.)

We'll be diverging from the original book here, so I hope you're all ready for it!

As always, see you next time!

Evelyn


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